Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the inventions generally relate to systems and methods for cultivating and distributing an aquatic organism. In particular, embodiments relate to monitoring and controlling the cultivation of an aquatic plant culture and the distribution of the aquatic plant culture.
Background Art
The global rise of non-infectious diseases chronic and degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, asthma, cancer, dementias, hypertension, osteoporosis, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be directly linked to unhealthy diets resulting from a high consumption of processed foods with low nutritious qualities. Research indicates that vegetarian based diets along with a reduced consumption of processed foods can lower the occurrence of cardio vascular diseases and cancer. The following references are examples of such research, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto:
1) Francesca L Crowe et al., Risk of hospitalization or death from ischemic heart disease among British vegetarians and nonvegetarians: results from the EPIC-Oxford cohort study; 2013; Am J Clin Nutr March 2013.
2) Dominique Ashen M. Vegetarian Diets in Cardiovascular Prevention; Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2013 Aug. 9.
3) Tao Huang et al., Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Cancer Incidence in Vegetarians: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review; Ann Nutr Metab 2012; 60:233-240.
4) Vegetarianism can reduce risk of heart disease by up to a third <http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2013/130130.html>.
5) Claire T McEvoy et al., Vegetarian diets, low-meat diets and health: a review; Cambridge Journals—Public Health Nutrition/Volume 15/Issue 12/December 2012, pp 2287-2294.
As such, there is an increasing desire for more nutritious foods. This has led to the rapid global development of the health and wellness foods market, which reached $200 B by 2011 and is forecasted to grow at a 5% CAGR over the next years to come. However, this segment continues to operate through the agro-food non-sustainable practices and its supply chain inefficiencies. Almost 33% of the food grown for human consumption is lost today, 65% for fruits & vegetables. And the agri-food industry is expected to account for 50% of the global greenhouse gas emission by 2030. Furthermore, although this segment aims to promote healthier food, it eventually supplies “engineered” food that the majority of the consumers does not trust and/or cannot afford on a daily base. As Todd Runestad, Editor-In-Chief of Functional Ingredients Magazine summarized it: “Consumers understand the inherent healthiness of fruits and vegetables, so if you can just put them in a convenient and tasty delivery system, you're on your way.” Aquatic edible plants are attractive vegetables because they are convenient, tasty, and an excellent source of protein, dietary fibers, essential minerals (dietary chemical elements), key vitamins, and other phytochemicals (e.g. antioxidants) needed for a healthy diet. Thus, cultivating aquatic plants and the distribution of these aquatic plants to consumers are fields of interest.